Imaginary
by Heleentje
Summary: Some days, they wouldn't duel even if they could. AU


This is a birthday present for **Olynthus**, who's made of awesome and has put up with my ranting, fangirling and whining for the better part of the year. Thanks so much!

Besides the fact that they're AU's, both parts are pretty much entirely unrelated.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX.

* * *

Imaginary

_Some days, they wouldn't duel even if they could._

**I. **

_Duel Monsters was important, of course, but it wasn't everything._

Seven-year old Johan Andersen had never been so excited in his entire life. He was going to Japan! Mom and Dad had taken him to Sweden a few times, and one time they'd even gone to Germany, but Japan was on the other side of the world. He even got to sit on a plane!

Not that the plane ride was that interesting. There was a movie showing, but Mom didn't let him watch it. Besides, the movie was in English, and he didn't know any English. He did know Japanese, though! It wasn't much, but Dad had helped him to learn a few sentences, and the spirits in his deck had told him that he was doing very well.

They'd also told him that they were happy they could come with him and that he'd have a lot of fun. Johan frowned slightly as he looked at the cards in his hands. No one ever believed him when he told them about his friends. Why couldn't they see them? Even Mom and Dad said they didn't exist, yet he'd been able to talk to the monsters from the moment he'd gotten his first cards.

Sighing, Johan kicked off his shoes and put his deck back into the small bag he'd taken with him onto the plane. He must've fallen asleep a few minutes later, because the next thing he knew, Dad was shaking him awake and telling him they'd arrived in Tokyo.

Johan looked around eagerly when they left the airport in a taxi. The city was huge, and bustling with traffic. Faster than he'd expected, they arrived at the hotel where they'd be staying for the rest of the week. Mom and Dad immediately started unpacking their bags, but Johan only put his small bag on his bed and took out his deck. He was restless, it was only five o'clock and he'd slept on the airplane, so he wouldn't need to sleep anytime soon. Mom and Dad weren't really paying attention to him, and they agreed easily when he asked them if he could leave the room, as long as he'd be back within the hour. There was a pool downstairs, and even though he couldn't go swim in it now, he wanted to go and look at it.

He turned around the corner to where he knew the elevators were, and collided headlong into another person. He tried to regain his balance, but fell over anyway. At the same time, his deck fell from his hands and got scattered all over the floor of the corridor.

"I'm sorry," Johan mumbled, and then again, in Japanese, "Sorry."

He got back up and started looking for his cards. The other person, a boy as well, looked at him strangely.

"You talk weird," the boy said bluntly, "and your hair is weird too."

His hair? Maybe he hadn't understood the boy correctly. Johan got onto his hands and knees to get the last cards. The other boy got down too and handed him one of his monster cards. The spirit of the card beamed happily at the other boy and the boy grinned.

"No problem," he told the little spirit. Johan almost fell over again.

"You can see…?" he asked hesitantly. The boy looked at him and frowned.

"Of course. Can't you?"

"Yes!" Johan said hastily, "but Mom and Dad never… they don't see them," he trailed off, looking at the other boy expectantly.

"Well, I can," the boy said proudly. He was halfway through his next sentence when he saw Johan frown.

"You don't understand?" he asked. Johan shook his head. He still had a lot to learn.

"I am Juudai," the boy introduced himself, "Who are you?"

"I am Johan," Johan held out his hand before realizing that maybe he should bow, but before he could retract his hand, Juudai had already taken it. Johan let go of his hand and looked behind the other boy. Sure enough, there were spirits floating around him.

"Do you want to duel?" he asked enthusiastically. He wanted to meet the spirits in Juudai's deck.

But Juudai suddenly looked sad, and behind him a new spirit appeared. It was glaring at him and he instinctively took a step back. One of his own spirits disappeared, but another got in between him and Juudai, as if to protect him.

"I can't duel," Juudai said sadly.

"But you have cards," Johan was confused. Didn't he know how to play? Then why did he have a deck?

"I have!" Juudai said quickly, and then started talking at such a high speed that Johan could only caught 'friends' and 'hurt'.

"What?" he asked. Juudai stopped abruptly and stared at him.

"My friends get hurt when I duel," he said, slower this time. "It's dangerous."

"Oh…" Johan wanted to say that he wasn't afraid, but he didn't know the right words. The spirit behind Juudai was still glaring at him, even when he waved, and Juudai started hopping from one leg onto the other.

"I have to go back to Mom and Dad," he said eventually.

"Wait," Johan called after him. Juudai stopped and turned around. So did the weird spirit and Johan's smile faded slowly, but he persevered.

"There is a…" Johan frowned. What was 'pool' in Japanese? "There is water downstairs," he said eventually. "Do you want to go?"

"Water?" Juudai repeated, "Oh!"

He smiled brilliantly and nodded at Johan, who smiled just as brightly back at him.

"Let's go!" Juudai said loudly, grabbing Johan's hand and pulling him along. Johan followed happily. The weird spirit was still behind them, but it wasn't glaring at him anymore, merely looking attentively at both of them as Juudai led the way to the elevators. Johan smiled again at the spirit, and this time he received a slight nod in return. This week was going to be awesome.

**II****. **

_Johan Andersen never got possessed by Yubel. But he did end up in the Dark World._

There was a small village that had escaped Haou's attention up until now, and it was there that he hid. He didn't like it, Haou would come sooner or later, and his presence as a duelist would endanger the villagers even more. But his arrival in this dimension had left him weak, and he wasn't strong enough to leave yet.

But the real shock only came after a few weeks, when Cobalt Eagle, who had been scouting, returned to the village.

"What? Juudai?"

Cobalt Eagle nodded, and Johan sank back into his chair. His caretakers were looking at him strangely, and Johan realized that the name probably didn't mean anything to them.

"Are you sure it's Juudai?" he whispered.

"Absolutely," Cobalt Eagle flapped his wings in agitation. "It's definitely Juudai."

Johan let his breath escape slowly. How had this happened? Why was Juudai even in this dimension?

"You… know Haou?" One of the villagers asked cautiously.

Johan hesitated: "…Maybe."

"There are rumors," an older man told him. "A few months ago, this world was overrun by the Dark World army. But then a boy appeared. I heard he was looking for someone. He and his friends started helping the villages and freeing the prisoners. But something must have happened then. The next thing we know, he and his friends are gone and Haou is destroying all the villages in this dimension."

Johan nodded silently. If he was right, if the rumors were true, then…

He stood up abruptly: "I have to go."

"Johan-kun, you are still weak!"

"I can't stay, you are all in danger because of me," he gathered his deck and duel disk, "I thank you all for taking care of me. I wish I knew how to repay you."

"Johan-kun!"

"I'm sorry," He sighed and shook his head. "I've brought you all in danger."

----

Sapphire Pegasus appeared the moment he left the village.

"It's you, isn't it? The one Juudai was looking for?" He didn't look at Johan, but instead followed Cobalt Eagle with his eyes.

Johan nodded solemnly. "I think so. What happened to the others? They would've stopped Juudai."

But Sapphire Pegasus only looked at him sadly: "We all know how dangerous this world is."

"You think they're dead?" Johan shook his head in denial. "They can't be!"

"Why else would Juudai do this?"

"Maybe it's Yubel," Amethyst Cat interrupted. She appeared on Johan's other side. "Yubel would do something like this."

They hadn't seen Yubel since the last duel in the desert world. When Johan had woken up in the village, Yubel was nowhere to be found and he'd felt as if he'd just fought a terrible battle and only barely won. If Yubel had done this to Juudai…

"We have to help."

"Johan… I don't know," Amethyst Cat looked straight at him. "This is not the Juudai we know. He's done terrible things now."

"True," Johan conceded, "but he's still our friend and we have to do something."

Amethyst Cat opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Cobalt Eagle flew down.

"Johan, Johan!" he called breathlessly, "They're coming! The Dark World army!"

Both Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat leapt in front of Johan to stop him from going on. Topaz Tiger appeared mere seconds after the announcement.

"How many?" Johan asked hurriedly. He grabbed his deck and activated his duel disk. There was a small rock formation nearby and he'd be able to hide there, but he didn't want to take any risks.

"A lot! Too much!" Cobalt Eagle shook his head frenziedly, and Topaz Tiger started pushing Johan forwards. They reached the rocks moments before the army came into their line of sight and Johan hid away while the Gem Beasts disappeared one by one.

The army wasn't especially large, but Johan recognized many of the spirits. Skilled White Magician and Skilled Dark Magician. Chaos Sorcerer, Guardian Baou and Skull Knight. He'd heard the tales about them. They were part of Haou's inner circle, and if they were here…

Johan barely managed to suppress a gasp when Haou came into view. He was surrounded by his troops, and barely visible from this distance, but even though Johan had never seen him before, he still had no trouble recognizing him. He'd heard enough stories.

But was it really Juudai?

The armor covered most of his body, and his face was well hidden. There was really no way of knowing who Haou really was.

And yet…

The army passed his hideout without noticing him, and Johan felt relief course through his body. It wasn't just his own, he noticed, but also that of his family. Despite the severity of the situation, he smiled slightly.

But his smile disappeared immediately when he realized just where the army was heading.

"The village!"

Haou would destroy the village! He couldn't let it happen, he couldn't abandon them now!

"Johan, no!"

Of course the Gem Beasts had guessed what he wanted to do. Topaz Tiger appeared again and crouched low to stay unnoticed.

"You have to stay here, there's nothing you can do!" the spirit told him urgently. Johan peered from behind the rocks. He couldn't just leave the village at Haou's mercy!

The army had already passed him, and he could see the gates of the village closing to keep them out. Johan got out from behind the rocks and, despite Topaz Tiger's protests, climbed up, so he could see the entire army stretched out in front of him.

"Don't do it, Johan!" Topaz Tiger insisted. Cobalt Eagle appeared next to them and tried to block his way as well.

"I can fly you out of here!"

But Johan ignored them both. If Haou really was Juudai, he might have a chance at succeeding.

"Haou!"

Several members of the army turned around. Haou, however, didn't stop.

"Haou, stop!"

This time his shouts seemed to have the desired effect. Haou turned around and Johan waited with baited breath. What would happen now?

"Johan Andersen."

Johan really did gasp this time. The voice was unmistakable. Cobalt Eagle had been right, Haou was Juudai.

"Juudai!" he yelled. "What happened, what are you doing?"

"So you are still alive," Haou -Juudai- mused. "No matter. You are nothing but a minor annoyance."

How could this be Juudai? What had happened to him?

"Juudai, stop this! You can't do this, it isn't right!"

Johan saw Skilled Dark Magician raise his duel disk, and he lifted his own disk in defense. But Haou stopped the Skilled Magician before a duel could begin.

"Leave him be."

What? What did it mean? Johan wasn't sure if he could defeat all members of Haou's inner circle, but he'd definitely be able to stall them. Juudai, however, was something else entirely. He didn't want to duel in this world. Losing would mean his death, but if he won, _Juudai_ would die. He just couldn't take the risk.

"Juudai, leave this village alone!"

On the other side of the village, he could see its inhabitants fleeing. Maybe he didn't have to stop the army. If he could stall them long enough, the villagers might escape.

"You tire me, Johan Andersen."

Johan shook his head frantically, "Just stop it! What about your friends, do you think they want you to do this?"

"They are dead. They do not matter."

So it really was true. How could he ever bring the old Juudai back now?

"Johan," Cobalt Eagle whispered, "the villagers are gone, you can leave now."

Johan cast a quick glance at the village and sighed in relief. The last people were finally leaving. The villagers would be safe.

But Haou must have seen him look, for he too turned towards the village. He didn't have the same view as Johan had, but by now it was clear that the village was deserted.

"Very clever," he told Johan. "You bought enough time."

Was that supposed to be a compliment? Johan didn't reply immediately. He didn't have to.

"It hardly matters," Haou continued, and despite all the evidence laid out on front of him, Johan still had trouble believing that this was his friend. "There are more villages. You cannot protect them all," he turned away from Johan and addressed Chaos Sorcerer. "We are done here. Fall back."

"But Haou-sama, the boy…"

"He is no threat. He cannot harm us."

Johan could only watch in disbelief as the army started marching back to where they came from. They were letting him go? They weren't going to attack him or duel him?

Cobalt Eagle landed next to him: "This is your chance, Johan, you have to leave now!"

"Ah…" Johan nodded and grabbed hold of Cobalt Eagle's wings, before shifting his grip to the neck of the bird. They hadn't done this before, but Cobalt Eagle was large enough to carry him.

"Johan Andersen!"

Johan's head snapped up. Juudai had stayed behind and was once again addressing him directly.

"Remember this. I am not letting you go out of mercy, nor out of any notion of 'friendship' you probably try to find. You simply do not matter to me. I assume that you will return. If you think you can face me on equal grounds, I will not stop you. Until then, you would do best to stay away."

Oh no, he wasn't going to let it end like this. Even if he couldn't stop Juudai, he wasn't going to give up either. There was a world to protect and a friend to save.

"Juudai!" Johan waited until he was sure he had the other's attention before continuing. "You're right, I will return. I'll remain in this world and help its people, even if it means fighting you," he stopped for a second to catch his breath. "But maybe you should try to face me on equal grounds first. Can you do that?"

He didn't wait. He undoubtedly wouldn't get a reaction anyway, and there was little he could do for Juudai. For now, helping the inhabitants of this dimension would have to be enough. Maybe one day, he'd be able to get the Juudai he knew back. It wouldn't be easy, but it would definitely be worth it.


End file.
